1. Field of the Invention
Implementations of various technologies described herein generally relate to seismic data processing.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
This section is intended to provide background information to facilitate a better understanding of various technologies described herein. As the section's title implies, this is a discussion of related art. That such art is related in no way implies that it is prior art. The related art may or may not be prior art. It should therefore be understood that the statements in this section are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Seismic exploration is widely used to locate and/or survey subterranean geological formations for hydrocarbon deposits. Since many commercially valuable hydrocarbon deposits are located beneath areas of land and bodies of water, various types of land and marine seismic surveys have been developed.
In a typical land or marine seismic survey, seismic receivers are installed in specific locations around an area of the earth in which hydrocarbon deposits may exist. Seismic sources, such as vibrators or air guns, may move across the area and produce acoustic signals, commonly referred to as “shots,” directed down to the earth, where they are reflected from the various subterranean geological formations. Reflected signals are received by the sensors, digitized, and then transmitted to a survey database. The digitized signals are referred to as seismic data. The ultimate aim of this process is to build a representation of the subterranean geological formations beneath the surface of the earth. Analysis of the representation may indicate probable locations of hydrocarbon deposits in the subterranean geological formations.
Seismic inversion is the process of transforming seismic data into a quantitative rock property description of the subterranean geological formations beneath the surface of the earth. As such, seismic inversion models fundamental rock properties from pre-stack or post-stack seismic data, such as acoustic impedance. These fundamental rock properties from the seismic data are used to create a description of hydrocarbon deposits in the subterranean geological formations, such as reservoirs. This description is then used to model hydrocarbon production and estimate reserves.